By Charles Pauka 

Macquarie University report has revealed the major reasons why truck driving is Australia’s deadliest job, says the Transport Workers Union (TWU).

Long hours, pressure to drive unsafe schedules with unsafe loads and an inability to raise safety concerns without jeopardising their jobs are among the risks to safety facing drivers.

The report criticises a lack of training and a ‘critical gap’ since the Government abolished the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal “that can eliminate existing incentives for overly tight scheduling, unpaid work, and rates that effectively are below cost recovery”.

The report was launched at a Safety Summit organised by the Transport Workers’ Union bringing together truck drivers, industry, academics and politicians to devise a plan to deal with the crisis in trucking.

“This report showcases a supply chain that puts all the pressure on drivers at the bottom and none of the accountability on the top, the wealthy retailers and manufacturers. It shows how this supply chain pits transport operators, which prioritise safety and employ experienced, trained drivers, against operators which cut corners and force drivers to take risks,” said TWU National Secretary Tony Sheldon.

Read more here.

This story first appeared in Transport and Logistics and News.